Therapeutic toy and method of using the same

ABSTRACT

The therapeutic toy includes a main body portion and a plurality of limbs, simulating an animal, such as an octopus. The plurality of limbs are selectively and releasably attached to the main body portion through the use of hook and loop fasteners in order to provide motor skill exercise to the user. Each of the plurality of limbs has unique visual and tactile characteristics, allowing the user to perform specific therapeutic exercises associated with each limb. Further, each limb has a unique fastener, allowing the user to practice and exercise the fastening and unfastening of the specific type of fastener.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to toys, and more specifically to a therapeutic toy and a method of using the same. The therapeutic toy has a main body portion and a plurality of limbs, which are selectively and releasably attached to the main body portion. Each of the plurality of limbs has at least one associated therapeutic task, providing the user with therapeutic practice and exercise.

2. Description of the Related Art

People with special therapeutic needs, such as developmentally disabled children or stroke victims who must relearn basic skills, require therapeutic tools tailored to their specific training needs. In situations where the user is resistant to therapy, or the user easily loses focus on therapy, it is necessary to provide a therapeutic system and method which is entertaining and attractive, to maintain the interest and focus of the user on the required therapy.

Such a therapeutic system and method should be multisensory and multifunctional, allowing users of all ages and backgrounds to benefit from the therapy. Further, it is desirable that the therapeutic system and method provide for a variety of therapeutic needs, such as tactile, visual and motor exercises, rather than being directed to only a single need or problem. Additionally, it would be preferable to provide a therapeutic system and method that could be shared in group therapy or used by a single user, rather than providing only a single-user system or only a group-therapy based system.

In addition to providing basic tactile and visual stimulation and exercise, it would be beneficial to provide a therapeutic system and method that teaches basic skills associated with everyday life. Such a system should teach both physical skills, but also be adapted to the training of emotional skills, such as socialization. Thus, a therapeutic toy and method of using the same solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The therapeutic toy includes a main body portion and a plurality of limbs, with the toy simulating an animal, e.g., an octopus. The plurality of limbs are selectively and releasably attached to the main body portion through the use of hook and loop fasteners in order to provide motor skill and upper body muscular exercise to the user. Either a single user may use the therapeutic toy, or the toy may be used in group therapy, with each participant taking on at least one of the detachable limbs. Each of the plurality of limbs has unique visual and tactile characteristics, allowing the user to perform specific therapeutic exercises associated with each limb. Further, each limb has a unique fastener, allowing the user to practice and exercise the fastening and unfastening of the specific type of fastener. For example, the fasteners may include snaps, zippers, buttons, laces and bows, allowing the user to practice basic everyday skills.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a therapeutic toy according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the therapeutic toy of the present invention, showing the limbs of the therapeutic toy detached from the main body portion.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a therapeutic toy 10. The therapeutic toy 10 is shown as having the simulated appearance of an octopus; however, it should be understood that any desired shape, configuration or appearance may be utilized in the production and manufacture of the therapeutic toy 10. An octopus or other multi-limb creature is desirable, in that each limb 20 may provide unique motor, tactile, visual and task-related exercise for the user.

The therapeutic toy 10 includes a main body portion 12 and a plurality of limbs 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of limbs 20 are selectively and releasably attached to the main body portion 12. A plurality of tabs 46 are secured to a lower end of the main body portion 12, with each tab having a releasable fastener for releasably engaging a corresponding one of limbs 20. In FIG. 2, each fastener is shown as a hook and loop-type fastener 48 for engaging a corresponding strip or patch of fastener on an upper end of each limb 20. Hook and loop fastener 48, however, is shown for exemplary purposes only; the fastener may be any other suitable type of fastener, such as, but not limited to, snaps, buttons or laces.

Each of the limbs 20 has unique tactile and visual characteristics, allowing the user to practice, exercise and explore a wide variety of therapeutic training exercises and games. In order to provide unique tactile experiences for the user, each limb has a housing 50 stuffed with a suitable filler material. Each housing 50 may be formed of a unique material, such as, but not limited to, felt, cloth, fabric, or a fur-like material 22 (as shown in the right-most limb 20 of FIGS. 1 and 2).

Further, in order to provide for visual training and exercise, each limb 20 may have a different color or show variation in decoration. For example, sparkles 44 may be added to at least one housing of limbs 20, or at least one of limbs 20 may have a particular shape, such as sock 32, or have indicia 34 imprinted thereon. Alternatively, sock 32 may be a removable cover formed on one of limbs 20, allowing the user to practice the donning and doffing of sock 32.

Additionally, training devices may be added to each limb. Fasteners, such as snaps 26 or buttons 36 may be provided, allowing the user to selectively seal flaps 28, 38, respectively. Other types of fasteners, such as zipper 24, belt and buckle 34, laces and eyelets 40 and bows 42 may be provided as training devices. Such training devices allow the user to practice common, everyday activities. The variety provided by the unique tasks associated with each of the plurality of limbs 20 allows separate users to focus on separate tasks, depending on needs and skills of each user.

The simulated animal appearance of therapeutic toy 10 provides for further therapeutic uses. For example, the main body portion 12 may include a hair-like portion 14, which may be a feather, for example, for providing additional tactile and visual sensations. Similarly, eyes 16 may be added, along with a mouth-like portion 18, which may be an elastic element, such as a pipe cleaner, allowing the user to deform the mouth-like portion. The main body portion 12 may be formed of material providing particular tactile sensations, such as felt, for example. The animal-like appearance of toy 10, and the visual and tactile sensations provided by main body portion 12 and limbs 20, aid in attracting and maintaining the attention of the user.

Further, each limb 20 may be filled with a unique filler material, providing unique weights, feels and contours to each limb 20. Such filler material may include, but is not limited to, beans, rice, plastic materials, cloth or beads.

Occupational therapists, parents, teachers or day care providers may use the therapeutic toy 10 to help children, developmentally disabled people and people requiring specific training or retraining, such as stroke victims, develop and exercise fine motor and basic self-care skills.

Each limb 20 of the therapeutic toy 10 may be used to teach the user a unique self-care skill, such as the brushing of hair 14 or fur 22, the snapping and unsnapping of snaps 26 to seal and unseal flap 28, the zipping and unzipping of zipper 24, the fastening and unfastening of belt and buckle 30, the donning and doffing of sock 32, the buttoning and unbuttoning of buttons 36 to seal and unseal flap 38, the tying and untying of laces 40, and the tying and untying of bows 42. Further, the variety of colors, tactile sensations and visual effects, such as sparkles 44 or indicia 34, allows for further training in the discernment of various visual and tactile sensations.

In the preferred embodiment, the materials chosen for the main body portion 12 and the plurality of limbs 20 are selected such that the material colors are not over-stimulating to the user, but are physically attractive, encouraging the user to use the therapeutic toy 10. The various fabrics, such as felt, may have a variety of textures, such as soft and rough, and further are preferably selected to provide a visual contrast between the material of the housing 50 and the particular training devices, such as zipper 24 or buttons 36, thus allowing for improved visual discrimination for the user.

The use of a soft material, such as soft felt, or the fur of fur-like material 22, provides an attractive feel for a user with tactile defensiveness issues. Further, the user may express particular moods through the manipulation of the elastic mouth feature 18.

The detachment and reattachment of limbs 20 from main body portion 12 allows for the exercise of both motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Further, the act of detachment and reattachment also provides for the exercise of upper body muscles of the user.

Therapeutic toy 10 may be used by a single user or may be used in a group training session. For example, in group therapy, each user in the group could be given a single limb to practice with. At a selected time in the therapy sessions, the users could exchange the limbs with one another, so that each user may then practice a different set of skills. The group exchange of limbs would be useful in the exercise of social skill development.

As detailed above, each limb 20 may be filled with a unique stuffing material. Heavier materials may be provided such that users having problems related to sitting still may use a heavier one of limbs 20 as a lap weight, training the user to remain seated for extended periods of time. Such limbs 20 may further be used for users who require deep pressure input as part of their therapy.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A therapeutic toy, comprising: a main body; and, a plurality of limbs selectively and releasably attached to said main body, whereby a user exercises motor skills through the selective attachment and detachment of said plurality of limbs from said main body.
 2. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 1, wherein said therapeutic toy is a stuffed, plush toy.
 3. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 2, wherein said therapeutic toy resembles an animal.
 4. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 3, wherein said animal is an octopus.
 5. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of limbs includes a distinct surface that provides a therapeutic tactile sensation to the user.
 6. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 5, wherein each said limb distinct surface is different from any other limb distinct surface.
 7. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 5, wherein each of said limb distinct surfaces is formed as a housing for receiving filler material.
 8. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 7, wherein each said housing is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of: fabric, felt, cloth, fur and fur-like material.
 9. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 7, wherein said filler material is selected from the group consisting of: beans, rice, plastic material, cloth, fabric and beads.
 10. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 7, further comprising therapeutic training devices secured to said housing, said therapeutic training devices being selected from the group consisting of: snaps, buttons, zippers, belts, buckles, bows and laces.
 11. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one housing has indicia printed thereon.
 12. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 1, further comprising a deformable element secured to said main body, said deformable element simulating a mouth.
 13. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 12, wherein said deformable element is a pipe cleaner.
 14. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for attaching and detaching said limbs to and from said main body.
 15. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 14, wherein each said means for attaching and detaching said limbs to and from said main body includes a tab secured to and projecting downwardly from said main body, there thus being a plurality of said tab members.
 16. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 15, further comprising hook and loop fasteners mounted on said plurality of limbs and said plurality of tab members, said plurality of limbs being selectively and releasably attached to said plurality of tab members by said hook and loop fasteners.
 17. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 5, wherein each of said plurality of limbs further includes means for providing therapeutic visual sensation to the user.
 18. The therapeutic toy as recited in claim 17, wherein said therapeutic tactile and visual sensations are predetermined to correspond to a particular therapeutic need of the user.
 19. A therapeutic method, comprising the steps of: providing a therapeutic toy including a main body portion and a plurality of limbs, the plurality of limbs being selectively and releasably attached to the main body portion; and, selectively attaching and detaching the plurality of limbs to the main body portion to exercise motor skills.
 20. The therapeutic method as recited in claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of limbs has unique tactile and visual characteristics, distinct from any other of the limbs.
 21. The therapeutic method as recited in claim 20, further comprising the step of performing a physical task associated with the unique tactile and visual characteristics of at least one of the limbs.
 22. The therapeutic method as recited in claim 19, wherein at least one of the limbs has a fastener secured thereto.
 23. The therapeutic method as recited in claim 22, further comprising the step of selectively fastening and unfastening said fastener as therapeutic exercise for the user.
 24. The therapeutic method as recited in claim 23, wherein the fastener is selected from the group consisting of: snaps, buttons, zippers, belts, buckles, bows and laces.
 25. The therapeutic method as recited in claim 21, wherein said physical task is predetermined to correspond to a particular need of the user. 